J. J. Bell

“ I've found out that the nursery would soon bring us more than we've got; and you've made your business worth buying, and with a little more money you would be quite safe to change."
"Ay, lass," said David, wrestling with himself—"ay, lass, I think I micht mak' somethin' oot o' the nursery, but it was you made ma business worth buyin'.... But it canna be—it canna be yet, onywey. If we had fifty pound laid by, I wudna be sae feart, but—"
"Give me your hand, Davie," she whispered.
"Ay, Jess. Are ye for yer bed noo?... Eh? What's this?" Something crackled ever so softly. ”

“ I can aye trust ye. But, oh, Jess, ye've been thinkin' o' me afore yessel'. D'ye no' ken the risk a man rins changin' his trade? There's a while afore he gets properly settled in the new trade, an' I doot I wud ha'e to pay Davidson mair nor ever I wud get frae the Wilkies.... I see what ye've been tryin' to dae for me, ma dear, an' I'll never forget it, but the thing canna be—it canna be."
"Oh yes, Davie," she said, faintly, as she slipped her hand within her blouse, "I've been thinking of myself and Katie as well as you. ”

“ He wants to sell his place, for he's gettin' auld, an' he had some siller left him a year syne. Some stranger 'll likely get the place." The joiner seated himself and produced his pipe, but did not light it. He leaned forward, gazing into the fire.
His wife watched him stealthily, and, after a little, remarked in a casual tone:
"I suppose it's a fine nursery?"
"It micht be made a fine yin, if the man that had it was keen," he returned, the least thing moodily.
Jess smiled. "As keen as yourself, Davie?"
David glanced at her and gave a laugh that ended in a sigh. ”

“ Mrs. Wallace shook her head. "Jess kens ower weel whit she's costin' her man, an' I'm feart she'll be broodin' ower him no' gettin' the nursery. It's unco sair on her, puir lass, efter she had made up her mind it wis a' richt."
"An' she wrocht that hard for it," Mr. Ogilvy remarked, with a sigh. "Can ye no' persuade David to tak' the len' o' the siller frae me? As I said to him, he can pey interest if he's ower prood to dae itherwise."
"Na; it's nae use. David winna tak' yer siller, Maister Ogilvy; no' but whit he's obleeged to ye fur the offer. He says he'll jist stick to the jinerin'. ”

“ Wud ye?"
"But you could sell your flowers, and you could grow and sell plenty of other things as well."
"The wee gairden wudna grow enough to keep ye in saut an' sugar."
"You could get a bigger garden" she returned, in a steady voice. "You could take over Mr. Davidson's nursery."
"Ay, dearie," he said, smiling to conceal his anguish, "I could tak' ower the nursery fine—if I had the siller. But I'll ha'e to bide a wee for that."
"Some one else 'll get the nursery."
"Ay, nae doot somebody wull. But we'll no' heed aboot that, Jess. ”

“ Sit down again, Davie; sit down, and tell me exactly what you think."
Unwillingly he resumed his seat, only doing so after reflecting that it might be wise to humor her.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"Aweel, ma deer, I wud be pleased to dae onythin' ye want, but ye maun keep min' that I wudna get muckle pey for workin' in the gairden," he said, speaking gently, and as pleasantly as possible. "Ye maun keep min' o' that. An' I doot"—with a feeble smile—"yersel' an' the wee yin wudna get fat on floo'ers. ”

“ He had told her all there was to tell of the doctor's report, adding that the great specialist was being telegraphed for.
"I am glad to hear that. It is the right thing to do, but—" For once Miss Perk checked, nay, strangled in its birth, a question prompted by her curiosity, the question being, "How can you afford it?" ”